Dan Rather’s remark on internment and the ACR 181 debate

Vol. 111, No. 6, September 7, 1990. 12 pages. View this issue

A remark by CBS anchor Dan Rather about the World War II incarceration (often called internment) led the news. JACL National President Cressey Nakagawa wrote to Rather after he gave “internal security” as the reason during his interview with Saddam Hussein. The same issue followed California’s ACR 181, which would have called the incarceration a military necessity. The Assembly rejected it 60-4, and Norman Mineta and Robert Matsui spoke against it. Also on the front page: a growing anti-Japanese backlash in the New York area.

Elsewhere, Bill Hosokawa wrote about the Greater Portland reunion, and Jerry Enomoto reflected on redress and the 1988 Civil Liberties Act. A two-page spread covers Alberto Fujimori’s inauguration as president of Peru, with a biography. Another story profiles the staff of the Office of Redress Administration’s help line.

What’s in this issue

National

• Dan Rather’s Quip on WWII Internment Hit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL National President Cressey Nakagawa criticized CBS News anchor Dan Rather for an ‘unfortunate’ reference to Japanese American internment made during his interview with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Nakagawa objected to Rather’s characterization that internment was for ‘internal security,’ noting the U.S. government’s own commission found no military necessity for it.
• Anti-Japanese Bias in N.Y. Area Grows, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese residents in the New York suburban area are experiencing a backlash due to their growing presence, with some parents pulling children from schools after American parents complained about high Japanese enrollment. A Japanese American businessman recounted being confronted by a couple about Japanese buying American property, though he identified himself as a Japanese American Vietnam veteran.
• Actors Equity Position on ‘Miss Saigon’ Draws Quick Reaction from JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 1. After Actors Equity reversed its position opposing Jonathan Pryce’s casting in the Eurasian lead of ‘Miss Saigon,’ Washington JACL representative Paul Igasaki criticized both Equity’s reversal and the Washington Post’s editorial calling the original position ‘ludicrous.’ JACL Executive Director Bill Yoshino had earlier written to Equity leaders supporting their original stance against the casting as a moral issue tied to the historic lack of opportunities for Asian American actors.
• New Japan Hotel President’s Fire Sentence Upheld, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Tokyo High Court rejected an appeal by Hideki Yokoi, president of Hotel New Japan, who was sentenced to three years for failing to prevent a 1983 fire that killed 33 people. Among the victims was San Franciscan Mutsuyo Funya, who was remembered for helping Nisei federal employees interned during WWII earn retirement credit.
• N.Y. Mayor’s Commission Issues Report on Black Boycott of Korean Stores, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mayor David Dinkins’ commission investigating a black boycott of two Korean grocery stores in Brooklyn’s Flatbush section issued its report, which the New York Times criticized as failing to properly address the underlying racism. The editorial warned that weak leadership on the issue threatens the city’s already strained race relations amid a second boycott emerging in Brownsville.

Community

• Japanese Friendship Garden in San Diego Holds Opening Rites, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The first phase of the Japanese Friendship Garden opened Aug. 29 in Balboa Park, San Diego, featuring an entry garden, sand and stone garden, and exhibit house. Garden Society president Larry Marshall said the phase introduces the community to Japanese garden art, with four more phases planned over 11.5 acres.
• Helvetia Cemetery Plaque Dedicated in Sacramento, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sacramento JACL members dedicated a memorial plaque at East Lawn Memorial Park honoring the unidentified remains of 700 Japanese reinterred from New Helvetia Cemetery in 1956. The Aug. 18 ceremony was witnessed by 150 people with clergy from several denominations and performances by the Sacramento Taiko Dan.
• Calif. DMV Recalls Vanity Plates With Anti-Italian Words, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The California DMV recalled 333 vanity plates using ethnic slurs against Italians at the urging of the Sons of Italy, though many Italian Americans protested the recall of plates they viewed as tongue-in-cheek tributes. The article notes JACL’s earlier 1970s campaign that led to a similar recall of anti-Japanese vanity plates and a state law requiring DMV screening of ethnic insults.
• High Desert JACL Awards Two Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 3. High Desert JACL presented $350 scholarships to Julia Kono of Palmdale High and Gabe Hom of Quartz Hill High at its June 13 ceremony at Lancaster Presbyterian Church. Guest speaker Rae Hideko Yoshida discussed academic affairs and the history of Japanese and Asians in America.
• Greater Portland Area Reunion Hailed as 950 Register; Also on Videotape, by George Katagiri, page 3. Over 950 people registered for the Greater Portland Area reunion held Aug. 3-5, bringing together prewar Japanese American residents scattered by evacuation from as far as Canada, New York, and Japan. The three-day event included a mixer, bus tours to the former Portland Assembly Center, golf, a banquet, and a picnic, with videotapes of the event available for purchase.
• San Francisco JACL to Raise Funds for Community Education, Curriculum Guide, by P.C. Staff, page 10. San Francisco JACL will honor Assemblywoman Jackie Speier and Dr. Leland Yee at a Sept. 22 fundraiser for their education advocacy work, including Speier’s ACR 37 resolution on accurate internment history curriculum and Yee’s Day of Remembrance resolution. The chapter is also raising funds for a curriculum guide to be completed by 1991, with artist Higashi Otsuka donating a portion of art sale proceeds to the cause.
• Prof. Nakanishi to Talk on UCLA Admissions, by P.C. Staff, page 10. UCLA Professor Don Nakanishi will give a talk analyzing UCLA admissions patterns at the West Los Angeles Buddhist Church on Sept. 25. The event is open to the public.
• Nagoya Collegians Guests at Salt Lake JACL Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 11. For the tenth year, the University of Utah and Salt Lake JACL hosted visiting students from Nagoya, Japan, at a dinner held July 19, with students selected through a Nagoya TV competition for English language ability. Local JACL members and officials served as hosts for the visiting students.
• Salem-Teikyo University Denies Facing Crisis, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Salem College, a private institution in West Virginia associated with Teikyo University in Japan, denied rumors it was closing due to declining enrollment. President Ronald Ohl said he expects 370 American students this fall to be joined by 200 Japanese exchange students.

Incarceration & Redress

• Calif. Assembly Soundly Defeats ACR 181 to Rewrite History of Internment in State Textbooks, by George Matsuoka, page 1. The California Assembly defeated Assemblyman Gil Ferguson’s resolution ACR 181, which claimed Japanese American internment was a military necessity and should not be called concentration camps, by a vote of 60-4. Opponents including Assembly members Isenberg, Johnston, and Speier argued the resolution attempted to whitewash a historical injustice already documented by a federal commission.
• Selanoco JACLers in Debate With Vets at Library on Internment Books, by Laura-Lynne Powell, page 1. Veterans and Selanoco JACL members clashed at the Anaheim Public Library on Aug. 25 over the history of Japanese American internment, with WWII POW Harold Hicks questioning reparations while JACL co-founders Ruth Mizobe, Clarence Nishizu, and Jun Fukushima shared their internment experiences. The veterans’ group also protested the library’s decision to review two controversial books by Lillian Baker defending the internment camps.
• Forgotten Letters of 1945 Addressed to Evacuees Uncovered from WWII Mementos, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Ernest Williams of Menlo Park discovered three unopened letters he had promised to mail decades ago to Japanese individuals, including one addressed to a relocation center detainee, found among Army mementos saved by his late mother. He hopes to locate the intended recipients or their surviving relatives, addressed to people in Mexico, the Gila River Relocation Center, and Terminal Island.
• The ‘ORA’ Overview: When You Call 800-395-4672 for Redress Help, Here’re the People in the Office Who Respond, by P.C. Staff, page 8. This feature profiles Cheryl Watanabe and Jerry Hennigan, the two staff members who answer the Office of Redress Administration’s Help Line, describing their roles assisting callers with questions about the redress payment verification process. The piece explains the sequencer phone system, staffing constraints due to limited funding, and the priority placed on processing the 25,000 cases ready for payment by October 1.
• Mineta, Matsui Criticize ACR 181 for Sugar-Coating, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Congressional Representatives Norman Mineta and Robert Matsui denounced California’s ACR 181 resolution for attempting to whitewash the history of Japanese American internment during WWII. Mineta compared the effort to Japanese revisionists denying wartime atrocities in China, while Matsui warned that justifying internment as militarily necessary opens the door to repeating such mistakes.
• High-Profile Debate Reported in L.A. Times, by Ralph Frammolino, page 10. The Los Angeles Times detailed the emotional floor debate over ACR 181, describing how Assemblyman Chris Chandler questioned why California was still trying to justify internment 48 years later. Ferguson faced a 70-minute rebuke from 11 legislators of both parties who shared personal stories about the wartime experience, with no supporters rising to defend the measure before its 60-4 defeat.

Obituaries

• Ex-Ambassador Reischauer, 79, Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Edwin O. Reischauer, former U.S. ambassador to Japan during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, died Sept. 1 of hepatitis. The Harvard historian and Japanese studies professor had been scheduled to headline the 1978 national JACL convention but was unable to attend due to health reasons.
• ‘Sammy’ K. Oyama, 71, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Sammy Oyama, wife of Pacific Citizen contributor Joe Oyama, passed away Aug. 18 in Berkeley after a second massive stroke; her ashes were scattered at sea off San Francisco. She had served as women’s editor of the Santa Anita Assembly Center newspaper and later worked as assistant manager at the Eastbay Issei Terrace retirement home.

Commentary

• The Japan Bashing Ads, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial criticizes American advertising campaigns, particularly from East Coast car dealers, that use racist and nationalistic references to Japan and Japanese people to boost sales amid economic competition. The piece argues that such ads cross the line from legitimate business competition into racism and calls on consumers to object to such tactics.
• Resisters Brought Shame, by Peter Wakamatsu, page 4. A letter to the editor disputes the Pacific Citizen’s June 29 editorial regarding a resolution on WWII draft resisters, arguing there’s no comparison between resisters’ actions and the sacrifices of soldiers in the 100th/442nd RCT. The writer, whose father served in F Company, contends that resisters brought shame rather than honor and that healing cannot erase the truth of who suffered most.
• Recalling Good Times at the Reunion, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. In his column, Bill Hosokawa reflects on the recent Greater Portland Reunion, noting how the boisterous crowd of over 900 attendees contradicted his earlier characterization of Nisei as ‘quiet Americans.’ He muses on why reunions tend to evoke fond memories rather than painful ones, and comments on the financial commitment required for former internees and residents to attend such gatherings.
• Nosso-Nosso, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani’s column explores observations on efficiency and diligence in work, contrasting a meticulous American maintenance worker with fast, efficient service he witnessed from Japanese store clerks. He notes cultural differences in customer service attentiveness between Japan and the U.S., while cautioning against Japan’s sometimes excessive regimentation.
• American Democracy – Unique and United, by Jerry Enomoto, page 5. In this keynote address delivered at the Sacramento Army Depot for American Heritage Week, Jerry Enomoto reflects on his experience being interned during WWII and the eventual redress granted through the 1988 Civil Liberties Act. He argues that America’s diversity is a source of strength and calls for continued vigilance against discrimination and prejudice to achieve a truly ‘unique and united’ society.
• Anti-Asian Violence on Campus Growing, by Karen Yoshitomi, page 5. The Pacific Northwest JACL Regional Director discusses the rise in anti-Asian violence and harassment on university campuses, describing her involvement with the Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment (NWCAMH). The column details a proposed educational program targeting teachers and schools of education to reduce bias incidents through training, resource development, and community empowerment.
• A Lesson for Japanese Men, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This satirical column criticizes Japanese Liberal Democratic Party official Koko Sato for sexist remarks about U.S. Trade Representative Carla Hills, comparing her negotiating style dismissively to ‘throwing straight balls.’ The writer argues Sato’s comments reveal outdated and offensive attitudes toward women that both American and Japanese women would find insulting.
• Nosso-Nosso (continued), by Bill Marutani, page 12. This continuation of Bill Marutani’s column further explores contrasts between Japanese efficiency in customer service versus lackadaisical American service, along with concerns about excessive regimentation in Japan illustrated by a tragic story of a student crushed by a school gate. He concludes that neither extreme approach to work performance is ideal.

In-Depth

• When Europe Felt Threatened by the U.S., Japan a Curiosity, by Ed Mitoma, page 5. This column examines J.J. Servan-Schreiber’s 1967 book ‘The American Challenge,’ which warned of American economic dominance over Europe, and draws parallels to contemporary fears about Japan’s economic rise. The piece explores themes of national competitiveness, education, and how different countries adapt economic growth to their own cultural and social models.
• President Fujimori’s Inaugural Day, by Martha Tamashiro, Rosa Miyahira and Harry Honda, page 6. Photo feature coverage of Alberto Fujimori’s July 28 inauguration as the first Nikkei president in the world, covering events including the Cathedral Mass, birthday celebration, and reception at the Presidential Palace attended by Nikkei dignitaries from the U.S., Mexico, and Brazil. The piece includes captioned photos of Fujimori with friends, family, and Pan American Nikkei Association leaders.
• The Alberto Fujimori Story: Son of Parents from Kumamoto-ken Lifts the Hopes of Millions in Peru, by P.C. Staff, page 7. This extensive biography traces Alberto Fujimori’s life from his birth to Japanese immigrant parents in Lima’s working-class La Victoria district through his education, academic career as university rector, and improbable rise to the Peruvian presidency via his independent Cambio 90 movement. The piece details his family background, his 1990 election victory over Mario Vargas Llosa, and his stated goals of national unity and economic reform to address Peru’s severe crisis.

JACL

• 1000 Club Report, by P.C. Staff, page 8. This regular feature lists JACL 1000 Club and Century Club members by chapter for several reporting periods in mid-1990, showing membership totals and individual contributor names. The report tracks cumulative totals showing steady growth in club membership throughout the year.

Arts & Entertainment

• National Asian American Pacific Bar Assn. to Hold ’90 Convention in Texas Nov. 9-11, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Houston will host the second annual National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Convention Nov. 9-11 at The Four Seasons Hotel, themed ‘Asian Legal Opportunities and Challenges, 1990.’ Speakers will include ABA president Jack Curtin, Congressman Bob Matsui, and filmmaker Wayne Wang.
• NWAAT Launches Playwright’s Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 11. The Northwest Asian American Theatre launched a nationwide search for original Asian American plays as part of its first annual Asian American Playwright’s Contest, offering a $500 first prize and a mainstage production in Spring 1992. Submissions must focus on the Asian American experience and are due by March 15, 1991.

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